Senegal: Chinese and Senegalese presidents open fight arena

The Chinese president is touring the African continent for his first visit abroad since his re-election last March.

Xi Jinping first went to Dakar, Senegal, where he arrived yesterday and from where he left today for Rwanda.

After signing economic agreements on Saturday, in the field of technology, justice or aeronautics, he inaugurated this Sunday, July 22, alongside his counterpart, Macky Sall, the country’s newest arena of struggle, funded and built by China.

It is an infrastructure that was lacking in Senegal where the fight is important.

Sheltered from the burning sun by a red plastic tent, Senegalese and Chinese presidential couples are facing the new book, an arena of more than 20,000 seats, in the colors of Senegal.

Its sandy beach will soon be home to wrestling, a traditional sport of the country that gives rise to spectacular and extremely popular matches.

The key to fitness, by Xi Jinping to Macky Sall, this infrastructure financed and built by the Chinese want the symbol of partnership “win-win” between the two countries, to use a term dear to the official speeches.

In the row reserved for the old glories of the fight, Pape Diop “Boston”, former champion of Africa, is quite moved.

“We have waited for years, years and years. I am therefore very proud to have this jewel, very proud to look at this cooperation between China and Senegal; between the two presidents,” he rejoices.

A few meters away, Massamba, from the Collectif des fans clubs de la Lutte, is also conquered.

“We are really happy with the Chinese because it’s a dream come true! We hope that we will come here, with discipline, and that the authorities will have a lot of rigor for the maintenance, for more sustainability”, hopes Massamba Dieye.

The ceremony ended with a parade of wrestlers. It was also the last leg of this visit, the second of a Chinese leader in Senegal, in almost 10 years.